BLUE LOCK CHAPTER 40: SECOND SELECTION

Chapter 40 centers on the formal beginning of the Second Selection and the sudden introduction of a terrifying new standard that immediately reshapes the players’ understanding of Blue Lock. Ego Jinpachi announces that the Second Selection is designed to turn a striker’s “1” into “100,” emphasizing that this phase is no longer about teamwork or survival by association. The competition is broken into five escalating stages, and only those who clear a stage may advance. Failure at any point means immediate elimination, making it clear that this is a ruthless, individual test of true ego and ability.

As the players prepare to enter one by one, they witness an overwhelming display of skill from a challenger who clears the first stage with shocking ease. The room buzzes with tension and disbelief as his performance dwarfs what most of them believed possible. The challenger is revealed to be Rin Itoshi, a member of the former “Best Eleven,” whose cold demeanor and effortless precision instantly establish him as a dominant force. His presence reminds everyone that monsters still exist beyond what they have already faced, shaking the confidence of even the strongest remaining players.

Among Team Z, reactions vary between awe, frustration, and competitive pride. Some cling to their shared accomplishments from the First Selection, insisting they are just as formidable, while others feel a creeping sense of doubt. Isagi, however, experiences a subtle but important shift. Rather than being crushed by Rin’s strength, he feels a strange excitement. For the first time, his growing confidence is backed by results, not empty pride, and he recognizes that this feeling is what real belief in oneself feels like.

When Isagi’s turn comes, he enters the First Stage alone, leaving his teammates behind. The isolation reinforces the core message of the Second Selection: this path must be walked individually. Inside, he finds himself in a stark, enclosed arena facing a mysterious automated goalkeeper known as the Blue Lock Man, signaling a new kind of trial that demands adaptability and creativity rather than simple teamwork.

The chapter ends with Isagi standing before this unfamiliar challenge, heart racing but resolute. As he questions what awaits him beyond the door, his fear is matched by determination. The Second Selection has begun in earnest, and Isagi steps forward, ready to grow stronger on his own terms.